How To Play Every Zelda Game In A Single Year

The long-beloved The Legend of Zelda series lends itself to endless replays, speed runs, and unique gameplay challenges (especially Breath of the Wild), but playing every single main series Zelda game in one year would be considered a major test of strength by even the most committed fans. The games considered to be mainline Zelda games offer hundreds of hours of gameplay, and the Zelda spin-offs, remakes, and non-canon games have made major contributions to the series’ 36-year history as well.

Fortunately, Nintendo’s official Zelda timeline provided fans with a neat roster of mainline games that comprised the entire saga from start to finish, and several more titles have joined Zelda canon since the timeline’s release in 2011. Playing through them all in a year is no easy task, but the first thing to do is understand the basic approach.

How To Play Every Zelda Game In Order Of Release Date

While the Zelda series offers plenty of opportunities for adventure, certain titles have become difficult to access in recent years. Currently, The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II, A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Skyward Sword, and Breath of the Wild are the only Zelda games available on Nintendo Switch. Many of the series’ older installments are only officially available on specific consoles that are no longer in production, and players will still need a Game Boy Color, GameCube, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS to complete the rest of the series.

As of the release of Echoes of Wisdom, there are a total of 21 games in the main canon of the Zelda franchise. It takes hundreds of hours to beat the main story of every game, and hundreds more to achieve 100% completion. Playing through all of them in just one year would pose a Ganon-sized challenge, but it’s possible for a dedicated fan to complete every game in the Zelda series by setting aside an average of around 10-15 hours each week.

Here is every Zelda in the order they released, alongside their original platform and approximately how long they’ll take to finish:

• Week 1: The Legend of Zelda (1986, NES, 10 hours)
• Week 2: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987, NES, 10 hours)
• Weeks 3-4: A Link to the Past (1991, SNES, 15-20 hours)
• Weeks 5-6: Link’s Awakening (1993, Game Boy, 15-20 hours)
• Weeks 7-9: Ocarina of Time (1998, N64, 25-40 hours)
• Weeks 10-12: Majora’s Mask (2000, N64, 25-35 hours)
• Weeks 13-15: Oracle of Seasons & Oracle of Ages (2001, Game Boy Color, 30-40 hours combined)
• Week 16: Four Swords (2002, Game Boy Advance, 3-6 hours)
• Weeks 17-20: The Wind Waker (2002, GameCube, 25-65 hours)
• Week 21: Four Swords Adventures (2004, GameCube, 4-20 hours)
• Weeks 22-23: The Minish Cap (2004, Game Boy Advance, 15-30 hours)
• Weeks 24-27: Twilight Princess (2006, GameCube and Wii, 35-60 hours)
• Weeks 28-29: Phantom Hourglass (2007, DS, 15-30 hours)
• Weeks 30-31: Spirit Tracks (2009, DS, 20-30 hours)
• Weeks 32-35: Skyward Sword (2011, Wii, 40-60 hours)
• Weeks 36-37: A Link Between Worlds (2013, 3DS, 15-25 hours)
• Week 38-39: Tri Force Heroes (2015, 3DS, 15-30 hours)
• Weeks 40-44: Breath of the Wild (2017, Switch and Wii U, 50-200+ hours)
• Weeks 45-49: Tears of the Kingdom (2023, Switch, 60-200+ hours)
• Weeks 50-51: Echoes of Wisdom (2024, Switch, 20-35 hours)

Following this pace will allow one additional week to make up for any last time. It could also allow for a bit of extra time spent with Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, as fitting them into the year at a reasonable pace is built on the assumption that you’ll focus on finishing the main story efficiently rather than exploring the full variety of what they have to offer.

How To Play Every Zelda Game In Timeline Order: Unified Timeline (Weeks 1-12)

The timeline of the Zelda universe has been intensely debated throughout the franchise’s history, but Nintendo’s official timeline published in Hyrule Historia provides a relatively cohesive outline of the story so far. While fans have been quick to spot potential contradictions and inconsistencies, the timeline is a great roadmap for experiencing the canon saga of Hyrule as it occurred in-universe. The story starts with Skyward Sword at the beginning of Zelda‘s timeline, then branches into three separate timelines depending on the outcome of Link’s battle with Ganon at the end of Ocarina of Time.

• Weeks 1-4: Skyward Sword (Wii, 40-60 hours)
• Weeks 5-6: The Minish Cap (Game Boy Advance, 15-30 hours)
• Week 7: Four Swords (Game Boy Advance, 3-6 hours)
• Weeks 8-10: Ocarina of Time (N64, 25-40 hours)

How To Play Every Zelda Game In Timeline Order: The Defeated Hero Timeline (Weeks 13-25)

The original 1986 Legend of Zelda takes place towards the end of the darkest Zelda timeline, which begins with the Hero of Time’s defeat at the end of Ocarina of Time. In this branch, Ganondorf obtains all three pieces of the Triforce and transforms into the Demon King, laying waste to Hyrule until Zelda and the Seven Sages can imprison him in the Sacred Realm. Hyrule’s power wanes in the absence of its Triforce, and Ganon’s malice transforms the once legendary Sacred Realm into Zelda‘s demonic Dark World.

The placement of Echoes of Wisdom in the timeline was debated for a while after its release, with a place in the Downfall timeline being a prevailing but contentious theory. Nintendo has officially added it in between Tri Force Heroes and The Legend of Zelda, though, so any discrepancies can safely be ignored.

• Weeks 11-12: A Link to the Past (SNES, 15-20 hours)
• Weeks 13-15: Oracle of Seasons/Ages (Game Boy Color, 30-40 hours)
• Weeks 16-17: Link’s Awakening (Game Boy, 15-20 hours)
• Weeks 18-19: A Link Between Worlds (3DS, 15-25 hours)
• Weeks 20-21: Tri Force Heroes (3DS, 15-30 hours)
• Weeks 22-23: Echoes of Wisdom (Switch, 20-35 hours)
• Week 24: The Legend of Zelda (NES, 10 hours)
• Week 25: Zelda II (NES, 10 hours)

How To Play Every Zelda Game In Timeline Order: The Child Era Timeline (Weeks 26-34)

At the end of Ocarina of Time, Zelda sends Link back to his original time in the Child Era, allowing him to reunite with her in the courtyard of Hyrule Castle and warn her about the fate of their land. She entrusts the Ocarina of Time to him before he embarks on his own distant journey, ensuring that the Sacred Realm would remain safely sealed. While the Defeated Hero timeline is technically the worst-case scenario for Hyrule, the games in the Child Era timeline feature some of the darkest tones and themes in the Zelda series.

• Weeks 26-28: Majora’s Mask (N64, 25-35 hours)
• Weeks 29-32: Twilight Princess (GameCube and Wii, 35-60 hours)
• Week 33: Four Swords Adventures (GameCube, 4-20hrs)

How To Play Every Zelda Game In Timeline Order: The Adult Era Timeline (Weeks 35-42)

After Link returns to his original era at the end of Ocarina of Time, the Zelda who remains in the Adult Era returns the Master Sword to its pedestal and seals the Door of Time, preventing further passage between their eras. However, as the Triforce of Courage rests with the Ocarina‘s Hero of Time in the Child Era, the future Hyrule in which Ganon was defeated is left without its sacred power. When Ganondorf is eventually resurrected again, no Hero arises to face him. Hyrule’s king enlists the help of the gods, who seal Ganondorf away by flooding the entire land under the Great Sea.

• Weeks 34-37: The Wind Waker (GameCube, 25-65hrs)
• Weeks 38-39: Phantom Hourglass (DS, 15-30hrs)
• Weeks 40-41: Spirit Tracks (DS, 20-30hrs)

Zelda: Breath of the Wild & Tears of the Kingdom (Weeks 42-51)

Nintendo has stated that BOTW takes place at the end of the Zelda timeline, which makes it the final game in both the timeline and release-date versions of this year-long gaming challenge. However, it was never specified whether BOTW’s story occurs at the end of one specific timeline branch, or if the game was meant to bring an end to all three. Effectively, it exists in its own continuity with Tears of the Kingdom, which has been represented in some official timeline depictions.

As such, playing both games after the rest makes perfect sense. By the same logic, you could just as easily play them first, but starting off with the two most massive games of the lot could be the quickest way to kill momentum on finishing every Zelda game in a year.

• Weeks 42-46: Breath of the Wild (2017, Switch and Wii U, 50-200+ hours)
• Weeks 47-51: Tears of the Kingdom (2023, Switch, 60-200+ hours)

The challenge of playing every Zelda game in one year will only get tougher with every release, especially if the next game is anywhere near as gargantuan as Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom proved to be. Relaxing and playing them through at your own pace might be the best idea, but if you’re dead-set on doing it efficiently, you might want to start before the next Legend of Zelda game drops and makes the task even more difficult.

Movie(s)

The Legend of Zelda (Live-Action)

Created by

Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka

Upcoming Films

The Legend of Zelda (Live-Action)

First TV Show

The Legend of Zelda

First Episode Air Date

September 8, 1989

Cast

Jonathan Potts, Cyndy Preston

The Legend of Zelda franchise follows the adventures of Link, an elf-like Hylian, and Princess Zelda as they protect the land of Hyrule from the evil warlord-turned-demon king Ganon. The series is known for its mix of action, adventure, and puzzle-solving elements, often revolving around the collection of the Triforce, a powerful relic left by the goddesses who created Hyrule. Each game features different incarnations of Link and Zelda, maintaining core elements while introducing new characters and settings.